Page 43 of An Arranged Betrothal with a Beast
“Forgive me, my lord, but it could not wait. Captain Harrington is here and requests your urgent assistance.”
“Captain Harrington?” Abigail asked, as the butler nodded.
“What is the matter?” Lord Townsend frowned, looking irritated at having been so interrupted. “What is it that cannot wait?”
“It is Lord Crestwood,” the butler said, making Abigail’s heart leap in surprise. “They rode through the summer storm and Lord Crestwood is now rather unwell. I believe he would not stop and the cold and the wet have brought on a fever.”
Abigail’s hand flew to her mouth, tears welling in her eyes.
“Then have him settled in a room at once!” Lady Townsend took charge of the situation, striding across the room. “Have the maid build up the fire in his room also. Send a footman for the doctor and have another bring the brandy.” Turning, she looked back at Abigail. “Abigail, wait here until he is settled. Charlotte, look after your sister.”
Abigail could do nothing but nod as Charlotte came to sit beside her. Their father harrumphed and quit the room, thereafter, leaving the two sisters alone. Lowering her head, Abigail closed her eyes tight against the swell of tears though she could not fully hold them back. With her sister’s arm around her shoulders, she dissolved into tears, crying over the pain, the confusion and the uncertainty which wrapped around her like a shroud.
“He came to speak with you, I am sure of it,” Charlotte whispered, though Abigail could only fight the sobs rising in her throat. “He chased after you.”
Though might he have come to end our engagement?Abigail wondered to herself, her whole frame shaking now as tears took hold.What drove him towards me with such fervency that he would not stop for the storm? And what if he does not recover?
“Once the doctor has finished his examinations, you will be able to see him.” Lady Townsend put an arm around Abigail’s shoulders as she fought to hold back her tears. “All will be well, my dear, I am sure.”
Captain Harrington, who had been given dry clothes to change into, nodded fervently. “Of course he will be. It will take him a day or two to recover his strength, perhaps, that is all.”
Abigail looked to Captain Harrington, seeing how he did not smile, how the lines by his eyes did not crinkle and how he clasped his hands behind his back and began to pace up and down in front of the fire place. That did not show a man who was contented, who was safe and secure in the knowledge that his friend would be quite all right. That was a man who was concerned but who did not want to let the true depths of his concerns be made known.
“Why was he coming here?” she asked, stepping away from her mother and moving towards Captain Harrington who immediately stopped pacing and turned to her, giving her his full attention. “Why did he ride after me so furiously?”
Captain Harrington smiled and, keeping his voice low, tilted his head a little. “Can you not guess, Miss Townsend?”
Hope flared in her heart only to die away as she recalled what she had seen with Lady Clara at the ball. “But Lady Clara – ”
“All a great misunderstanding and, I should say, deliberate confusion on the part of Lady Clara and her mother.” Captain Harrington scowled, his expression dark. “Lord Crestwood did not know that you had taken your leave and could not understand why. A good deal of consideration later, we soon realized what had happened, followed by the shocking revelation that Lord Drover had been involved also.”
Abigail’s eyes flared in surprise. “Lord Drover?”
“He has always been eager to injure Lord Crestwood in any way he can, though the truth of it has come out now.”
“And what is it?”
Captain Harrington dropped his gaze. “It should be Lord Crestwood telling you this but, given the circumstances, I shall do so.” Taking in a breath, he spread out both hands. “Lord Drover was the one who introduced Lord Crestwood to Lady Clara. Thereafter, there grew an interest between Lord Crestwood and Lady Clara, to the point of engagement. During that time, however, Lord Drover did all he could to injure Lord Crestwood by spreading rumours about him. Lady Clara promised that she did not believe any of them and thus, their relationship remained strong. Lord Drover, it seems, was himself in love with Lady Clara and was broken hearted – and angry – over Lord Crestwood’s connection to her. Therefore, he sought to pull them both apart by any means necessary, even by spreading rumours that were entirely untrue.”
Abigail’s breath caught. “But how could he do such a thing to a gentleman he considered a friend?”
Captain Harrington shook his head. “I do not understand it and Lord Crestwood, on learning this, told Lord Drover that he ought to have spoken honestly with him rather than bearing so great a burden. Hewould have stepped away from Lady Clara had it been asked of him for the sake of Lord Drover.”
“And it might have been better for him if he had,” Abigail murmured, looking away from the Captain. “Goodness, how sorry I am for it.”
“Lord Drover spoke to your father,” Captain Harrington continued, as Abigail’s gaze drove itself back to him. “He stated that he knew there was to be a reaffirming of the connection between Lord Crestwood and Lady Clara and he did so solely to drag Lord Crestwood’s name and reputation into the dirt. He wanted there to be nothing but pain and suffering and all because he had never once chosen to be truthful with Lord Crestwood about his feelings as regards Lady Clara.”
Abigail let out a sigh, shaking her head as clarity came to clear her mind. “I see. I thought… I thought as regarded Lady Clara that therewassomething between them. After all, she stood up with him in place of my waltz.”
“Ah but Lady Clara convinced Lord Crestwood that you had gone to lie down, that you were fatigued or unwell or some such thing. Thereafter, she was eager to force herself into your place, using all manner of words and manipulations to do it. Lord Crestwood was convinced that he should step out with her for what would be the one and only time so that thetonwould no longer believe there was any animosity between them only for Lady Clara to make more… overt remarks and to then try and kiss him when he refused them all.”
Her heart twisted. “I did see that. He told everyone that she was unsteady on her feet after the waltz and required some rest.”
“He did his best to cover up her obvious intentions,” Captain Harrington agreed, “but do you not see how desperate she was to cling to him again? Lady Clara would have forced herself upon him – and had not Lord Crestwood acted with such haste, she might have succeeded!”
“Goodness.” Lady Townsend put one hand to her heart. “Then all that Lord Townsend was told was quite wrong?”
“Certainly it was,” Captain Harrington replied, as Abigail closed her eyes in relief. “That is why Lord Crestwood rode here with such speed.” His eyes went to Abigail’s just as she opened them. “There is more to be said but I would not say it on his behalf. Those words need to be spoken by Lord Crestwood himself, though I should like to reassure you, Miss Townsend, that Lord Crestwood’s heart has not attached itself to any other. The reason he rode here with such haste, the reason he rode through the summer storm, was because of his affection for you. I have never seen him so upset, so angry and so desperate at the same time – desperate to reach you so he might set everything to rights.”
